Control of configuration size and intensity

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is provided for displaying configurations on a surface, such as the face of a cathode-ray tube, with a energy beam, such as a cathode-ray tube electron beam. The beam is deflected with reference to first and second perpendicularly related axes in response to positioning signals for positioning the beam on the surface at selected positions in accordance with position command signals. A control circuit provides configuration signals for sequentially positioning the beam relative to the two axes to provide a plurality of incrementally spaced images which, in turn, define a configuration. The magnitude of the configuration signals is dependent on the selected position, and a configuration size control circuit serves, in response to size command signals, to change the magnitude of the configuration signals and thereby change the size of the configuration.

Unite Staes Patent 7 115] 3,643,251 K6116 61 al. 1451 Feb. 15, 1972 [5 CONTROL OF CONFIGURATION SIZE 3,161,458 12/1964 Dell et al ..340/324 A x AND INTENSITY 3,161,866 12/1964 Orenstein el al.. ....340/324 A 3,311,908 3/1967 Halsted et a]. ..340/324 A [721 IflvemQrS= Edwin K919; John Blaha, both of 3,325,803 6/1967 Carlock m1 .340/324 A Clev land; Webster Rflberts, South 3,437,869 4/1969 Cobb etal ..340/324AX Euclid, all of Ohio [73] Assignee: Harris-Intertype Corporation, Cleveland, Primary ExamineF-David L'Tmfton Att0rney--Yount and Tarolli Ohio [22] Filed: June 17, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 47,097 Apparatus is provided for displaying configurations on a sur- 9 face, such as the face of a cathode-ray tube, with 21 energy Related pp Dam beam, such as a cathode-ray tube electron beam. The beam is [62] Division of Ser. No 591 734, 3 1966, pat No. deflected with reference to first and second perpendicularly related axes in response to positioning signals for positioning the beam on the surface at selected pos1t1ons 1n accordance 521 11.5.01. ..340/324A 95/45 l78/6.7 with Signals A citcui Provides 315/26 configuration signals for sequentially positioning the beam [51] Int Cl. l D i l Gosh 5/22 relative to the two axes to provide a plurality of incrementally 58 Field otsar cir.:.........:. I.T340/3211 324 A' 315/26 SPaced images which in define a configurafim- Thc magnitude of the configuration signals is dependent on the [56] References Cited selected position, and a configuration size control circuit serves, in response to size command signals, to change the UNIT D STATES PATENTS magnitude of the configuration signals and thereby change the me of the configuration. 3,391,300 7/1968 Hmkem et al ..3l5/26 X 3,403,289 9/1968 Garry ..3l5/26 X 9 Claims, 33 Drawing Figures I //5 MINOR MINOR READER //7 DEFLECTION DEFLECTION 5 J HORIZONTAL D/A VERTICAL D/A LEADING V :3 CONTROL M H J 4 1.,- //2 T No F'els'zsafl 3 FIG-23 BUFFER 452 f ffi CHARACTER l GENERATOR 4 FIG s-14a 11 oauouE a 4 2 INTERPOLATION WA 75: BIA g g -:'6 11 .1 17 11 "1 3" '5' SPACE PRE 650 1 9??? FIG-24 1-16-23 l MEMORY I: COUNTER RELAY s "1'12,- REED s /A1 4 1 INDENT STORAGE FOCUS 62o DEICGOQER MEMORY COUNTER 630 I J, I

526 I POINT SIZE 1 2 l MEMORY COUNTER 1 "6M1 7 l I --i SPACE I? u. LSD l 555 528 ll teaeaesmn (527 FIG-22 PATENIEBFEMS I972 3,643,251

sum 01 0F 20 0 O 0 O O O O O O O 0 O O O O 0 Q 6 o O O 0 O O O O o a 0 0G 4/0 FlG-3 EDWIN R. KOLB, JOHN F. BLAHA 8 WEBSTER C. ROBERTS fly Male/M ATTORN EYS PATENIEDFEBIS IsIz SHEET SCHMITT TRIGGER TRIGGER 5 99 73 r w FFH-FF FF L B67 T ToGGI E N83 38 READER 72 7'5 RESET REGISTERS 90 7 3 CORRECTION 80,

TAPE SYSTEM g READER 7,

JCONTROLT kw -98 INVERTERS RTQFSE 95, f I

E ER

66 FEED DELETE STOP coDE 8/ DETEcToR DETEcToR DETECTOR FROM 84 89 sTART STOP FIG? LOGIC II 83-1,

87 as J L I 85 I 86 TO TAPE 90 FROM TAPE READER READER REsET CONTROL PAIENTEDFEB 15 1912 3.643 .251

SHEET 0 101 20 F|G 9 4-TAPE no 0/ 4O- [3 20 [1 1:1 E1 1:1 1:11: |O-- E1 1:1 1:11;] BBC] 1351:] 1:11] 1:1 4- El E] E] [3 [1D DUE] [1E1 2- 1:1 1:1 [31:11] 1:1 1:11] 13 E] 1-- 1:1 [II 1:1 1:1 [:1 1:11: 111111111111111111111 1e 21 16 01 10 I026 03 16 1O 16 055216 340|73| O||2 2 5 35 READER I {M a r y PREFIX-PREFIX HORIZONTAL SPACE WRlTE WORD SPACE COMMAND CHARACTERS SEPARATOR HORIZONTAL RESET SET SMALL PO1NT SIZE +sv -6V 40 FIG'I3 395 INPUT INPUT 400 400 337, 343, 345, 347 520 FIG 20 1 1 1 1, 1

SPACE MEMORY 1 FROM 522 I DECODER INDENT MEMORY FIG-l2 523 52/ POINT SIZE 255 MEMORY I 5 4 55 4/2 r KE 3 PRE- STORAGE GENERATOR HORIZ. COUNTER COUNTER FIG-l4 5 1; I f 527 52a LSD INTERPOLATION MAIN COUNTER COUNTER I LL: w-- T0 T0 SELECT ONE OF INTERPOLATION s4 HORIZONTAL D/A CARD D/A CARD FIG-23 FIG-22 PAIENTEDFEBHIQTZ 3 543 51 SHEET U7UF 2O 202 FIG ssas BIT, 1793 ms DELAY LINE No. I SAMPLING I k l E GATES W326 BIT, I63 ms 209 PARALLEL DELAY LINE 203 To 206 200 SERIAL 3586 BIT, I793ms f DELAY A DELAY LINE N022,

L A /86- I884 LINE 204% TRANS. BUFFER SERIAL /205 coNvERTER SHIFT 234- I87 REGISTER 3586 BIT, I793 ms COUNTER CHARACTER My 3586 BIT, I793 ms 3 SENsoR 3 cjuNTER f 229 k V99 -/8/ /79 326 BIT I63 ms COUNTER I n a I Q OUTPUT REGISTERS 220 l l T I OUTPUT I h .,L CHARACTER SENSOR I I A A l 223 I+ "235 23 J GIIE S EI IIII To CONTROL TO PARALLEL 2 S H IE T E8 5 232 I REGISTER FIG-IZA PATENTEDFEB 15 I972 SHEET BEN 20 PREFIX REGISTER (FROM FlG-l2B l L w R EM T0 C n 0 n rms PATENTEDFEB 15 I972 SHEET 09 0F 20 SET LEADING OUTPUT PULSE 26/ LEADING 25 INHIBIT 256 CLOCK- PAIENTEBFEB 15 I972 3.643 .251

sum 15 0F 20 FIG-ZIC STORAGE COUNTER INTERPOLATION COUNTE R 526 LEAST SIGNIFICANT DIGIT COUNTER PAIENTEDFEB 15 I972 SHEET 18UF 2O FIG-ZID INDENT MEMORY 52/ a I I J l a g MAIN COUNTER 52 FIG.

FIG. 21C 21D FIG. 21 A FIG.

FIG-21E PATENTEDFEB 15 I972 SHEET 190F20 CHARACTER GENERATOR (FTG- I7) NOR F 56-24 FROM MAJOR DEFLECTION D/A (FIG-22) NOR FIG-25 FROM CHARACTER GENERATOR 

1. An apparatus wherein characters are to be formed along a line on a surface by a beam by supplying a plurality of first and second deflection signals in sequence for deflecting the beam with reference to first and second coordinate axes to generate a succession of visual images which define the configuration, said apparatus comprising means for providing a position signal to position the configuration at a selected location along a said line extending across a said surface and configuration generating circuit means comprising means for receiving command signals for providing first and second deflection signals having magnitudes dependent upon said selected location for sequentially deflecting the beam to generate a sequence of image elements which are spaced apart at least in a direction parallel to one of said axes and which define said character, means for varying the magnitudes of said deflection signals in dependence upon said selected locations, said configuration generating circuit means including spacing control means for a coordinate axis for selectively changing by a selectable factor the magnitude of the deflection signals for the coordinate axis to vary the said spacing between said images, and means for blanking said beam between said spaced images.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said command signal receiving means includes means for multiplying a reference signal by a factor determined by said command signals to provide one of said first and second deflection signals.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, including beam control means for varying the intensity of said beam.
 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said beam control means is controlled by said spacing control means.
 5. Apparatus for displaying configurations on a surface with an energy beam and comprising: means for deflecting a said beam with reference to first and second perpendicularly related axes; first control means for applying positioning signals to said deflecting means to position said beam on said surface at a selected position in accordance with first command signals; second control means for applying configuration signals to said deflecting means to sequentially position said beam relative to at least one of said axes to provide a plurality of incrementally spaced images spaced parallel to said one axis and which define a said configuration, said second control means including means for varying the magnitude of said configuration signals in dependence upon the said selected position; configuration size control means for, in response to size command signals, changing the magnitude of said configuration signals to thereby change the said spacing between said images along said one axis and thereby change the size of said configurations; and, means for blanking said beam between said spaced images.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, including configuration memory means for storing digital representations of various configuration sizes and in response to a said size command signal providing digital signals representative of a particular configuration size.
 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, including a plurality of configuration signal modifying means for respectively modifying the magnitudes of said configuration signals in dependence on said digital representations.
 8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, including digital decoding means for decoding said digital signals to activate a selected one of said configuration signal modifying means to correspondingly modify the magnitude of said configuration signals.
 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, including means for varying the intensity of said energy beam in accordance with the configuration size in effect. 